Sharp leads Northwestern State to win at Illinois State, 70-67

NORMAL, Illinois – DeMarcus Sharp did it again.

For the second time in four days, Northwestern State’s senior point guard took charge down the stretch and lifted the Demons to a road win.

This time, Sharp scored five of the Demons’ final seven points as Northwestern State earned a split of a two-game, home-and-home series with Illinois State, downing the RedBirds 70-67 at CEFCU Arena on Thursday night.

“He was phenomenal,” first-year head coach Corey Gipson said. “He’s really finding his groove. His confidence is through the roof. He knows how to get to the next gear when the game is on the line and our guys trust him.

“I also want to commend the other guys out here. They defended so well as a group.”

Sharp’s clutch performance came three days after his jumper in the lane with 1:14 to play lifted the Demons (3-2) to a 64-63 win at No. 15 TCU.

Five days after the RedBirds (2-2) edged NSU by two points in Prather Coliseum, Illinois State was on the verge of completing a comeback from a 14-point deficit to sweep the two-game series.

Sparked by six points from Colton Sandage, Illinois State used an 8-0 run to erase a seven-point Demon advantage and grab a 60-59 lead with 4:53 to play on Sandage’s three-point play.

The one-point advantage was the RedBirds’ first lead since the 14:37 mark of the first half. During that time, the Demons built four different double-figure leads, including a game-high, 14-point advantage on a Sharp dunk with 5:41 to play in the first half.

The Demons’ advantage was at eight points at halftime, giving NSU its first halftime lead of the season. The Demons built it thanks in large part to a 6-for-10 performance from behind the 3-point line as four different players contributed to it.

Unlike the first meeting between the teams in which the Demons hit just nine of 17 free throws, the charity stripe was much more fruitful for Northwestern State in its first trip to CEFCU Arena.

The Demons knocked down 15 of 18 free throws, including seven straight in the final 4:31 of the game.

“We’ve been talking about loving each other at the free throw line,” Gipson said. “Last game we played them, I didn’t see them giving each other love taps at the line. A free throw can be an extra timeout and a chance to love your teammate. A little encouragement can help the ball go through the net.”

Coupled with a nine-point advantage in points off turnovers (20-11), the Demons moved over .500 for the first time this season. NSU has won three of its first five games in a season for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

While Sharp poured in 14 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, the Demons found balance on offense with four players reaching double figures.

Isaac Haney (14 points, nine rebounds) just missed a double-double while Dayne Prim (11) and Ja’Monta Black (10) each reached double figures. Prior to Thursday’s game, the Demons had not had more than two players score in double figures in the same game this season.

The Demons will return to action after Thanksgiving, taking part in the UCA MTE in Conway, Arkansas. NSU faces the host Bears in a matchup of former Southland Conference rivals at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 26.